


Congratulations

by Allen ux Ultor (The_Servant_of_Evil)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Catharsis, Gen, Had to rework the lyrics a bit, Hinted Adrinette - Freeform, Lila Rossi gets arrested, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, One Shot, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Song: Congratulations (Hamilton), Venting my frustrations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Servant_of_Evil/pseuds/Allen%20ux%20Ultor
Summary: Adrien was glad he had thought ahead and came as Chat Noir, because Alya had invented a New Kind of Stupid.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 131





	Congratulations

**Author's Note:**

> So, you can probably guess what I've been watching on loop recently. In all honesty though, getting to why I wanted to write this. 
> 
> Besides just needing to get back into a writing groove, I have some *serious* issues with how Season 3 of ML was handled. Alya felt OOC a lot of the time, Lila seemed *too* good at getting away with things, Chloe seemingly had a case of Forgotten Aesop, and as much as I love the Chat Blanc episode, it has its own issues. *cough*Hawkmoth*cough*. However, I don't want to just erase what is there, as much as I would like to. Some *good* things came out of S3 too. Bunnyx, Guardian Marinette, Lore out the wazoo, Kagami and Luka, and Nathalie were all highlights of this season for me. 
> 
> So rather than that, I sort of want to see what can be done while keeping Season 3 as it is. As such, the inspiration for the set up for this came about. 
> 
> And finally, I just needed the catharsis. Alya was such a *wonderful* character, and it seems like she's getting the Ron the Death Eater treatment from the Show Writers themselves, making her absolutely unsympathetic when Lila is involved. I just... I hope she comes to her senses.

Adrien was glad he had thought ahead and came as Chat Noir, as he put the Cataclysm to the Akuma. 

Today was going to be a hard day for everyone in this class. Lila had been careless, and Lieutenant Roger Raincomprix had managed to amazingly catch a video of the liar reaching out for an Akuma. As if neither the fact that she had done as much nor the fact that it was caught on camera was surprising enough, the former Rogercop had brought the video straight to him after the Volpina attack had finished. Ladybug had already dashed off, and he hadn’t needed to use his power, so he could afford to stay around and watch it. And seeing it… had really put things into perspective. 

He had been stupid to give Marinette the advice he had. If Lila would willingly Akumatize herself, what else was she capable of? She needed to be stopped. Thankfully, they had a solid option. A Nuclear one, but it was still a solid one. Hawkmoth was a terrorist. Willingly working with one was a crime. To be fair, Chloe had done so as well during Miracle Queen… but unlike Lila, Chloe had been under duress, thanks to Heart Hunter’s existence. Unlike Lila, Chloe had the plausible deniability of the only real witnesses being the Superheroes and Supervillains. And to be honest, Chloe was his friend. She got the benefit of the doubt. 

Lila had no such protections. 

He and the Lieutenant hatched a quick plan. Conspiring with a Terrorist was severe enough to have criminal punishments for even a minor. And with evidence? They had her dead to rights. And so the plan was put into motion the next day. 

He ensured Nathalie thought he was home sick, and transformed, and made his way out towards school. After meeting up with M. Raincomprix, the two moved into Mme. Bustier’s class. While Lila was being put in cuffs, Adrien had moved to the computer, projecting the video evidence. There could be no denying what had happened… normally.

As Lila was carried off, Lila had spouted off a lie about Marinette being at fault. With the class turning on her as a result, Chat Noir had quickly ensured that Roger had gotten Lila out of the room, before he looked to his princess, Marinette. She was starting to shrink in on herself, unable to get a word in. It was honestly breathtaking how cruel and vindictive they were being. It was after his hearing heard a slight flutter that he finally noticed it. An Akuma had fluttered into the window, heading straight for Marinette. Acting on instinct, he was quick to destroy the Akuma before the baker could be infected with it. 

His thoughts finally came to the present as he opened his hand, letting the dust of the Akuma fall onto the desk. Everyone was silent as they saw what had happened. As it was, he couldn’t help the emotions rushing through him. Hell, he didn’t even recognize all of them. It took him a few seconds, but he pushed it aside, guiding Marinette up and towards the door. “Go home, I’ll be by later,” he whispered to her, letting her quickly run off and away from the toxic hellhole that had festered in this school. With that, he turned, rounding intently on the one who he felt had betrayed Marinette the most. 

She was quick to try and speak up, of course. “Chat Noir, I-”

“Alya. Congratulations.” He didn’t want to hear her, ignoring his ring beeping. “You have invented a new kind of stupid. A ‘damage you can never undo’ kind of stupid. An ‘open all the cages in the zoo’ kind of stupid. Truly, you didn’t think this through? Kind of stupid.” He stalked closer, tail whipping side to side in obvious anger. “Let’s review: You believed a lie not a ton, maybe one, could’ve spun and started drilling her into spilling something she would’ve never had done; You never gave her a chance, not even one. So sure of what your precious source had said was done; the one who got you an interview was the one you shun! You wanna know why Rena Rouge was retired? We never knew when your trust in us would be expired! So yeah, Congratulations!” 

That looked like a slap across her face. “Chat Noir!” 

He shook his head. “You’ve decided who you trust. Congratulations.”

She felt her eyes tear up. “I was trying to be a good friend.” She gasped, looking at his ring empty out.

He ignored the transformation, as it was revealed to the class that Adrien and Chat Noir were one. “To whom?”, he asked, giving a pointed look. “Marinette was the one who would come through, she did everything for all of you, I look at her and think “god, what have I done with my time and how did I help her?’” He shook his head, as emotions rushed forward again. He couldn’t stop thinking about Marinette’s smile as he talked about her… and about how he had let her down. “That doesn’t wipe the tears or the years away, but now I know what Lila’s done and I’m here to stay, and you know what I’m here to do?”, he asked. 

Alya shook her head. Mirror rivers descended her cheeks. “Adrien…”

“I’m not here for you.” That soft proclamation was enough for him to realize who he  _ was _ there for, though. Marinette, the Everyday Ladybug. Marinette, the girl who could appear so strong, who could do so much… but was stretched thin, at the end of her rope. She needed help… and he wanted to do everything he could for her. And it became clear why. 

His eyes narrowed. “I know my princess like I know my own mind, you will never find anyone as trusting or as kind.” Guilt flooded him. “But a million years ago I said to her ‘let it slide’, but I was blind.” To Lila, to Marinette, to everything. But now he saw. “Now what do I find?” He stared her down. Guilt flushed away as he thought of his time on the balcony of a bakery, of the time he and Marinette would spend talking and teasing each other… and he couldn’t stop himself from saying it. “I love my princess more than anything in this life, I will choose her happiness over mine every time. Marinette…”

Alya looked down. “Marinette…”

“Was the one who needed you in the end,” he insisted, the rush from realized emotions pushing him forward. “So never lose sight of the fact that you had been blessed with the best friend.” He shook his head. “Congratulations. For the rest of your life, you’ll be plagued with the questions of ‘What if?’.” He turned from her, walking away. “Enjoy all of the strife…” He sighed, closing the door. “Congratulations.”

**Author's Note:**

> So feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to discuss this fic, the show, the musical Hamilton, or really anything. If I get enough interest, I might look to write more one shots. In the meantime, I should probably get work on my multi chapter fics...


End file.
